Wherein I ask a simple question of my representative, Speaker of the House, John Boehner:
I get that the GOP hates the ACA. One cannot fail to grasp this fact because they’ve actually voted for its repeal 40 times, in spite of the knowledge the vote was a meaningless waste of money. But my question was: “why don’t you guys have a replacement for the ACA? Where’s your better, cheaper, stronger healthcare plan?” Because as it stands, it looks like you just want to hurt people. It looks like you want people to die because an insurance company refused to pay to treat a pre-existing condition. People are forced to change jobs more frequently these days and that often means signing up with a new health care provider….which puts pre-existing coverage in jeopardy. It looks like you want people to suffer because they didn’t make enough money to buy quality coverage. Now, if I am wrong, please tell me how stamping your feet and saying “NO” 40 times has made anything any better. Please.
I am no fan of the ACA….it didn’t need to be as complex and it seems like a government-funded joyride for the insurance companies at everyone else’s expense, and anytime the IRS, who already admits it doesn’t fully understand most of the tax code is brought in as an enforcement tool you will find me NOT a fan. But you House Majority guys have had nearly 8 years to bring something to the table, and you squandered it obsessing about gay marriage and abortion. Gay people are something like 2% of the population, and about 2% of women have ever considered an abortion, but 100% of people NEED HEALTHCARE…..but you guys just refuse to see it. You claim allowing abortion is immoral while turning your backs on those already here who are suffering horribly from a lack of healthcare. You claim gay marriage is immoral while ignoring those in your midst who have abused the “holy” state of matrimony….
What say you, Sir?
As always Doug, you go right to the heart of a question. I have been a registered Republican all my life, but I am ashamed to say so now. Like you I do not understand why they have not come up with a reasonable alternative. I wonder, do they know that there is no reasonable alternative? Is our system of big business and insurance companies too unwieldy, too corrupt to actually produce a result that is good for all. At a basic level, our system is driven by selfish greed. It may be unable to act altruistic except by accident. What a terrible thought.
I agree with you. The republicans need to do something to fix the problem that the democrats have passed into law. But again you spin a problem created by a monstrous liberal bill and use it as a place to bash republicans.
Instead of passing ACA they should have worked on getting healthcare affordable to everyone brought intelligent reform not lobbied upon by insurance and drug companies.
Not really sure how you blame republicans for gay and women discussions. I’m pretty sure they are not the ones brining it up all the time. I’m pretty sure it is the liberal groups that are more worried about marriage than how these two parties are bankrupting our country. Doesn’t matter how gay or straight, if your a man or woman if the US goes bankrupt. That will the least of the worries.
I appreciate the thoughtful comments!
Two things:
The blueprint for the ACA came directly from the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank. The insurance companies weren’t about to forego their billions were the government to have instituted a true government takeover of healthcare in the form of single-payer. I agree it’s a mess, but the Republicans have not bothered to draft an alternative in nearly 8 years. Which brings me to the other point:
Is it not more than a few Republicans who have stated that the “single greatest threat to America” is homosexuality and gay marriage? Not the economy, not government waste and spending, not terrorism, but something that affects perhaps 2% of the population? This is also the party who has uttered ludicrous statements about rape and its consequences, and wants to mandate the birth of unwanted children while simultaneously removing supports for these children. Rick Santorum, who said “single moms are causing the country to fall apart” has even floated the idea that a woman who is raped should be required to carry the product of a rape to term because, as he crassly puts it, “since all life is a gift from God, she should make the best of a bad situation”. He finds single moms problematic, but would demand pregnant single women be prevented from obtaining abortions.
I maintain that the focus on the courting of single issue “morals voters” by the Republican Party as evidenced by its nearly obsessive need to scare and distract its constituents is incredibly problematic. They want their supporters believing gays want to try and convert straight people to homosexuals, and that gay marriage is more of an attack on the so-called sanctity of marriage than many of the days-long heterosexual marriages that regularly make the news. All the while offering no real solutions for healthcare, job creation, fair taxation, Wall Street and banking reform, and of course immigration.